Today, six other SHSU students and I left Huntsville for a weekend in Dallas. Our first stop upon arriving was the JFK Sixth Floor Museum. Fifty years ago history was changed from this very building that has been preserved to honor the memory of President John F. Kennedy. The Museum features insightful films and photographs that explore the legacy of Kennedy’s life, from his marriage to Jackie O to the many conspiracies surrounding his death.

Spot of JFK Assassination

As part of the tour, we made our way to the seventh floor of the Museum to see featured photographs of presidents throughout the last 100 years. The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds true for this exhibit as the photographs range from the iconic black and white head shot of Abraham Lincoln to silly photographs of “Socks at the Podium” in which President Clinton’s family pet stands on the Press Podium of the White House.

Before leaving the Sixth Floor Museum we walked along Elm Street — the same street down which JFK was driven, waving to supporters, as he was killed. Our trip to the Sixth Floor Museum was a success, as we all enjoyed the exhibits while learning about history.

A few blocks away we enjoyed dinner at The Spaghetti Warehouse, where most enjoyed traditional Italian cuisine while a couple of more spontaneous travelers went for the Kung Pao Chicken Pasta and calamari. No matter the dish, it was a great dinner with great company.

To top off the night we ventured a few more blocks to the Dallas Museum of Art, which is home to amazing pieces of art reflecting many cultures and time periods of human existence. Our group was able to snap a shot next to Pablo Picasso’s “The Guitarist” painted in 1965.

SHSU Students and Picasso’s “Guitarist”

Perhaps a more deep-rooted and archaic painting, one of my favorite’s was Rembrandt Peale’s portrait of George Washington (dated 1824).

Peale’s George Washington

In sum, I had a great time getting to know the members of my group and experiencing this day with them.

We stated off our day with lunch at the Woodbine Hotel located in Madisonville, Texas. The Woodbine is the oldest building in Madison County. As you enter, your eyes are immediately drawn to the hand-made quilts in the main lobby of the hotel; some of which were made by the local residents of Madisonville. The Woodbine is best known for using fresh locally grown mushrooms in many of their entrées. One of my personal favorites is the East Texas Lunch Plate; it consists of grilled chicken topped with a mushroom sauce and served with a side of sautéed vegetables. I recommend it to everyone.

The Woodbine Hotel and Restaurant

Once we arrived in Dallas, our first stop was the 6th Floor Museum. It is the notorious site where Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. We could not have chosen a better time to visit this historic site, which is nearing the 50th anniversary of the tragic shooting that ended JFK’s life. The museum creates an atmosphere that takes you back in time to the events before and after the assassination. The combination of the visual displays as well as the audio devices provided, helped me visualize and have a better understanding of the type presidency that Kennedy had. Classroom learning can only show you so much, actually looking down onto Elm St. where the two x’s mark the spot where the bullets struck Kennedy gives you a better appreciation history.

Elm Street from 6th Floor

For dinner, we decided to eat at the Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Dallas. Its cuisine is classic Italian pasta. The restaurant presents a lively, comfortable feel complete with a wonderful staff. The warm environment helped to facilitate conversation between the students, who did not know each other yet. By recommendation of our waitress, I decided upon the Four-Cheese Manicotti, something I’ve never tried before. Big pasta tubes are stuffed with Italian cheese covered with a blend of fresh tomato sauce and Alfredo sauce. The tangy tomato sauce and the creamy rich Alfredo was a surprisingly nice combination that complemented each other well; I do not regret my choice at all.

As a nice unexpected surprise, the Dallas Museum of Art was having “Late Nights,” which is an event on the 3rd Friday of each month.

Late Nights at DMA

It offers various tours, performances, activities, and reading throughout the night, free of charge. We decide to take advantage of this opportunity and explore the museum. One of my favorite exhibits was the artwork by Piet Mondrian. The exhibit showcases the transformation Mondrian made from being a post-impressionist landscape painter to an austere abstract artist. It was impressive to see the various stages of his art. His early work consisted of paintings of the Dutch countryside; he uses different shades of greens and browns to depict nature.

Willow Grove, by Piet Mondrian

Later in his career, his art presented abstract bright colors that pop out to the modern viewer. Another fun aspect the museum has to offer is “Late Night Creations”, which allows the public to create their own form of expression through art. I chose to participate the Line Work with Amie Adelman.

Line Art

This consisted of art with straight lines to create an illusion of 3-D art. I helped in assembling a group art display as well as started my own. The staff and volunteers engaged to public to add their own special touch to the wall. It was exciting to see the art come to live before your own eyes. Collaborating with strangers to work on a common goal was probably the highlight to my day.

Today our group left Huntsville for the New Politics Forum “Careers in Politics” Seminar—making stops at interesting and historic stops along the way. Our first such stop involved an enjoyable lunch at Madisonville’s Woodbine Hotel, where I had the day’s special, grilled chicken smothered in a mushroom sauce with broccoli and two small baked potatoes. It was a wonderful meal, and a wonderful start to our trip.

The trip from Madisonville to Dallas was marked by a torrential downpour and a few traffic delays, but we were eventually able to make it to the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, Texas. The museum is set in the former Texas School Book Depository in downtown Dallas and is the site of one of the most famous assassinations in U.S. history: that of John F. Kennedy.

6th Floor of the Dallas Book Depository

The museum chronicled JFK’s presidency leading up to that fatal day in November. We were able to see hundreds of Kennedy-era artifacts, which were complemented by numerous audio and visual clips. I was surprised at how divided the country was at the time, and it kind of reminded me today’s political climate. After finishing our tour of the museum, we went outside to look on Dealey Plaza to see the exact assassination spot. We strolled along the infamous “Grassy Knoll” and envisioned what it was like to be in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.

SHSU Students on the Grassy Knoll

We hoped to dine at Ellen’s Southern Cooking (where “Grits Rule!”), but they were closed for a private party. Instead, we went to The Spaghetti Warehouse, where I had the signature spaghetti and meatballs and, for dessert, tiramisu. Not bad for a back-up choice.

As a nightcap, we made our way to the Dallas Museum of Arts, where we toured art galleries ranging from Ancient Greece and Rome to modern art from Europe and America. I most enjoyed the special exhibits featuring furniture and art works by Wendy and Emery Reves, who owned works by Renoir, Van Gogh, and many artifacts (and some paintings) by Winston Churchill.

Winston Churchill Painting

With that touch of politics, we set out to prepare for tomorrow, when we learn about careers in politics. As a May 2014 graduate, I’m hoping to learn a lot.

Broadening our horizons is what most college students want to accomplish during their education, but most don’t get the opportunity to do so. After just one day in Dallas, however, seven SHSU students are getting just such an opportunity.

This is my first educational field trip at SHSU, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Thus far, it’s been great, offering me the opportunity to meet fellows students (now new friends!) with similar interests as myself.

Our first stop was lunch at “The Woodbine” in Madisonville, where I ordered the grilled Chicken Alfredo. The Woodbine is also a bed and breakfast and a very well preserved building of the Victorian era. Its historic look and the fine food already have me wondering about a return trip in the future.

From there we trudged north, through rain, and arrived at Dealey Plaza, the site of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The Sixth Floor Museum is so named because it was the sixth floor from which Oswald shot the President.

6th Floor of the Dallas Book Depository

The Museum is well done, with audio accompaniment and thousands of artifacts showcasing the Kennedy era—the Cold War, Civil Rights, and, of course, the assassination. It’s disconcerting to move from the “Kennedy Family” exhibit to the “Assassination” exhibit, and have the tour change from an upbeat history to the terror of a presidential killing. The sniper’s nest used by Oswald is amazingly well preserved, so much so that this section seems frozen in time.

The most interesting section was the Kennedy Funeral. Not only did Kennedy’s death mark an end to an era—the end of Camelot—but, as a Catholic, I felt a personal connection to the funeral ceremony, which honored the life of the first and, thus far, only Catholic President.

The Museum offered a special exhibit on presidential photographs. We saw photos of Harding shaking hands with Babe Ruth…

After a stop at Spaghetti Warehouse for dinner, we headed to the Dallas Museum of Art. The Museum has floors dedicated to various exhibits, from the “Art of the Americas” to the “Art of Europe” and art from India, Africa, Greece, and other civilizations. I’m not astute art admirer, but there were some names I recognized: Rodin, Monet, and Picasso. But my favorite was “The Adoration of the Shepherds” by Paolo de Matteis.

Adoration of the Shepherds

As I wrap up my first day on my first trip I look to ahead to broader horizons and more opportunities in the form of the New Politics Forum’s Careers in Politics Seminar at SMU.

On September 20th, 2013, seven students (including myself) from Sam Houston State University’s L.E.A.P. (Law, Engagement, and Politics) Program departed from Huntsville, Texas en route to Dallas, Texas for the New Politics Forum Event, which takes place on Saturday, September 21st. This event is geared toward college undergraduates and graduates, who are interested in a future career within the field of politics.

Despite the windy, rainy weather during our travel, we successfully managed to stop for lunch at the Woodbine Hotel / Restaurant in Madisonville, Texas. Madisonville, as some of you know, is the mushroom capital of Texas, so it wasn’t surprising that many of the fine entrees came with mushrooms. The lunch also offered the chance for us to know one another. We had an International Business major, a Criminal Justice major, and, of course, Political Science majors, but we were all united in our desire to be engaged in civics. The Woodbine also offered us a chance to see interesting antiques, the most interesting of which was an antique phone booth.

Continuing through the rough weather and mild traffic, the students arrived in Dallas, Texas around 4:30pm and went to the Sixth Floor Museum, located at Dealey Plaza in Downtown Dallas.

Dealey Plaza Marker, Dallas

The Sixth Floor Museum examined the life, times, death, and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. I really enjoyed the museum’s depiction of John F. Kennedy, along with the countless photographs and memorabilia from the time of his presidency.

Following the Sixth Floor Museum tour, the students ventured to the Spaghetti Warehouse for dinner. At the restaurant, we continued to talk about political and school related affairs, as well as who our favorite presidents were. Some students liked Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Calvin Coolidge, while I opted for Franklin D. Roosevelt.

After dinner, the students embarked to the Dallas Museum of Art, which offered a special late night tour. Throughout the Dallas Museum of Art, I admired the American Art, as well as the Egyptian Art. Leadbelly, by Michael Owen Jr., is an example of one of the sculptures I enjoyed, especially given the background of the sculpture only taking a month to create.

Huddie Ledbetter, AKA Leadbelly

I should also note that this piece has a connection to my adopted hometown of Huntsville, Texas, which features a mural of Leadbelly on a downtown storefront.

Coffin of Horankh, representing a coffin in the form of a human body, also caught my attention. This body of art was common within the Egyptian culture, as a means of “magically” assuring eternal life.

Coffin of Horankh

Overall, I enjoyed the first day of the New Politics Event Forum trip, from the Chicken Caesar Salad at Woodbine Hotel / Restaurant to the aspect of engaging in different cultures at the Dallas Museum of Art. Finally, I look forward to sharing my experience from the New Politics Conference tomorrow at Southern Methodist University.